Simplified pack of cards for playing canasta or the like



Patented May 26, 1953 UNITED STATES, PATENT oFFics SIMPLIFIED PAGK F CARDS FOR PLAYING CANAST-A OR THE LIKE Helen Avery Laycott, Battle Creek, Mich.

Application January 24, 1951;, Serial No. 207,598

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-152) The present invention relates broadly to games, and in its specific phases to a new and improved pack of cards for playing the well known and popular game of Canasta.

The game of Canasta as it is played today, involves the use of two decks of bridge cards plus four jokers, and the back designs of th .two decks are Often different. -So far as the faces of the cards are concerned, the complete set or pack includes two suits of spades, two of hearts, two of diamonds, and two of clubs, the cards of each suit ranging from deuce to ace, with the spot cards (2 to bearing red and black suit pips consisting of pictoria1 representations of spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs. Then too the face cards are often printed in multi-color. Thus, in order to produce a complete set of the currently used cards for playing Canasta, a large number of printing plates are required and obviously the larger the number of plates the greater the cost of production and consequent cost to the ultimate purchaser. Moreover, it is not necessary in playing the game that the cards be spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs, but rather the key to the game for indicating the difference between clean and mixed canastas and between the threes, is the color or colors of the players cards. It was a recognition of the shortcomings and printing difliculties of the prior art which led to the conception and development of the present invention.

Accordingly among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved pack of cards for playing Canasta which will require only fourteen printing plates for printing the faces of the cards, and this number compared with the minimum of fifty-three plates required for printing the faces of the current bridge deck cards now used, shows a great reduction in printing plates with a consequent decided reduction in cost.

A further object is to provide a simplified pack of playing cards, which are easy to produce, and easy to use for playing a card game such as Canasta.

In carrying out the above end, a further object is to provide a novel method of printing th required red and black cards.

A still further object is to provide a novel set of printing plates for printing the improved Canasta pack.

Still further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the methods and means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing and the following description settin forth in detail certain means and modes of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means and modes illustrating, however, but one of the various ways in "which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the accompanying drawing Figure l is an elevation of oneof four identical suits of cards all of which are printed in one color, for instance red.

Figure 2 is an elevation-of one of four identical suits of cards all of which are printed in *a different color, for instance black.

Figure 3 is an elevation of one of the four jokers, all of which are preferably printed in the same color (red or black).

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of one card showing an illustrative back design which may be common to all cards of the complete pack.

In Figure 1 there is disclosed one of four absolutely identical suits of cards, the cards of said one suit ranging in value from deuce to ace and preferably being all printed in one color, for in stance red. The red printing comprises not only the identifying numbers (2 to 10) of the spot cards but also the pictorial elements of the king, queen, and jack, and the A on the ace.

In Figure 2 there is disclosed one of four additional absolutely identical suits of cards, the cards of said suit ranging in value from deuce to ace and preferably being all printed in a different color, such as black. The black printing comprises not only the identifying numbers (2 to 10) of the spot cards but also the pictorial elements of the king, queen, and jack, and the A of the ace.

The delineated designs of all eight suits of cards are preferably absolutely identical and one set of four suits is distinguished from the other set of four suits, merely by the red ink in which one set is printed and the black ink used for the other set.

Figure 3 discloses one of four jokers all of which may be printed either red or black, or two may be red and the other two black. The delineated designs of all four jokers are preferably absolutely identical.

The backs of all of the cards above mentioned may be devoid of printing if desired, but preferably they all bear the same delineated design and are all preferably printed with the same color ink.

A complete Canasta pack of the improved cards comprises four of the red suits of Fi ure 1, four of the black suits of Figure 2, and four of the jokers of Figure 3, and regardless of the fact that these components number one hundred and eight cards, only fourteen printing plates are required to print these faces. By printing four runs with these plates, using either color ink, all of the required cards of the selected color may be printed, as well as the four jokers. Then, by printing four more runs with ink of the other color, using the same printing plates (except that for the jokers), the rest of the pack will be provided. Of course, if desired, only two of the jokers may be printed when printing with one color ink, and the other two when printing with ink of the other color. If a design is desired upon the backs of the cards, a. fifteenth printing plate will suffice for all of the one hundred and eight cards.

Not only does the invention decrease the number of printing plates required to produce a ,Canasta pack, but the set of fourteen plates is itself of simple form as it comprises only impression surfaces for printing thirteen cards with values from deuce to ace, and for producing a joker and includes no impression surfaces for suit pipsspades, hearts, diamonds and clubsheretofore printed on the cards.

Should it be desired to embellish the pictorial elements of the king, queen, and jack, this may of course be done by additional plates and operations.

Other modes of applying the principle of my .invention may be employed instead of those explained, change being made as regards the means and the methods herein disclosed, provided those stated by any of the following claims or their equivalent be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A pack of playing cards for Canasta consisting of eight sets of thirteen cards, the cards of each set having identification marks ranging in value from deuce to ace as in a conventional deck of cards, the cards of four of said sets having the value marks thereof printed in one color, the cards of the other four of said sets having the value marks thereof printed in another color, the faces of said cards being devoid of suit designations and four jokers having identically designed faces so that the faces of an entire pack of one hundred and eight cards may be printed with a single set of fourteen printin plates.

2. A pack of cards as specified in claim 1; wherein all four of said jokers have their faces printedin one of said colors.

3. A pack of cards as specified in claim 1; wherein two of said jokers have their faces printed in one of said colors, the other two of said jokers having their faces printed in the other of said colors.

HELEN AVERY LAYCOT'I.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 957,105 Russell May 3, 1910 1,377,327 Ebert May 10, 1921 1,518,519 Kent Dec. 9, 1924 1,545,766 Harrison July 14, 1925 1,680,097 Eaton Aug. 7, 1928 1,941,148 Keltie Dec. 26, 1933 

